From the darkest parts of the underworld, to aliens hunting on Earth, to planets far away, each of these capture-themed novellas by six bestselling authors takes you on a wild ride that will heat up your fantasies and keep you up all night long…reading.
Kept is one of those anthologies I bought on a whim, later regretted buying and were left unread on my Kindle, forgotten and unloved. Thank goodness I found it while I did my spring cleaning, because it was actually quite good - much better than expected. I've even bought the sequels & intend to read them later this spring.
Below, I've rated the stories individually:
CRIMSON WARRIORS
Sergeant Kelly Myers fights a war that humans are losing but there may be a way out. Can she sacrifice her blood and body to a vampire to save her country or is Talon worse than the evil trying to kill them all?
- Liked this one for the most part. The time jump at the end was a downer, though. My least favorite of the bunch 3.5 stars.
SOUL BONDS
For alien King K’marr, time is running short, he captures and claims the human Ashlyn Sawyer as his. Yet, Ash objects over his methods of persuasion. Can K’marr convince Ash they are Soul Bonds or will she let him succumb to the abyss of madness?
- K’marr belongs to a race where the men on his world need to claim their intended soul mate by their 35th year or be driven to madness. Not always easy to persuade an alien human female, though. 3.5 stars.
PRECIOUS SACRIFICE
A Preyfinder is trained to withstand hardship and pain, but Jadd would rather kneel before a firestorm than leave his captive, Brittany, to be stalked and killed. The choice between love and loyalty to his soldier brothers may tear him in two.
- Originally intended to be his punishment, Brittany becomes his obsession and he’ll do anything to save her and claim her as his pet. A hot, sexy story with a dominant alpha male. I’ve bought the sequel, how could I not? 4 stars.
SUCCUMB
Now this one was an interesting story. I’ve never read lesbian romance before, and biased as I am, I nearly decided to skip it. What a shame that would have been, this story turned out to be my favorite of the six:
Lying tangled in her sheets each night, dreaming of sex, virginal Shiloh never meant to tempt the spying succubus. Even so, the accident of their mutual infatuation wouldn’t save Shiloh or Moth from the Council’s wrath. Succubi are not supposed to take female captives, only males for breeding purposes. But Moth’s attraction is too strong to be denied…
- Consider me chastised, Moth’s obsession and dedication to Brittany surpassed that of the most possessive, but loving male Dom. I ended up loving this couple. 4.5 stars.
UNIVERSE HUNTERS
Lost in a forest, poison ivy for an unwanted companion. Two hot aliens take the form of friends spirit her away aboard their alien vessel. Can life get any stranger for Cali? It can. Add some mind blowing sex and hang on!
- If Succumb was my favorite, this was definitely the cutest story. Two aliens experience the pleasures of the human flesh for the first time, but their cuddling in their original light forms was adorable. 4.25 stars.
MY SCOTTISH KEEPER
After accidentally turning off a device that could destroy earth, Maggie finds herself abducted by Baen, a man with an accent as sexy as his rugged looks. As he drags her to Scotland to fix it, chemistry between the two explodes, but is it enough for a happily ever after?
- Wow, I really fell for the rugged Scotsman. Dominant to the core, but with an unsurpassed tenderness and protective instinct toward Maggie. Also 4.5 stars. Loved this couple.
Overall I rate this anthology 4 stars.